People skills
According to the Portland Business Journal, people skills are described as:Rifkin, H. “Invest in people skills to boost bottom line” Retrieved on 2009-10-14 * understanding ourselves and moderating our responses * talking effectively and empathizing accurately * building relationships of trust, respect and productive interactions. A British definition is “the ability to communicate effectively with people in a friendly way, especially in business.”“Macmillan Dictionary” Retrieved on 2009-08-18 The term is not listed yet in major US dictionaries.Dictionary.com definition. Retrieved on 2009-08-18Encarta dictionary definition. Retrieved on 2009-08-18 The term people skills is used to include both psychological skills and social skills, but is less inclusive than life skills. History Guidelines relating to what later generations eventually dubbed "people skills" have been recorded from very early times. Two examples of early human guidelines appear in the Old Testament. Leviticus 19:18 advises: “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against your people, but love your neighbor as yourself”; and Solomon’s wisdom in Proverbs 15:1 includes: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”“New International Version Biarrarara44rr4arra4rra4rrr4rra4rble” Retrieved on 2009-08-18 However the Bible also condemns 'flattery' (Psalms 5:9). Human-relations studies became a movement in the 1920s, as companies became more interested in the “soft skills" and interpersonal skills of employees. In organizations, improving people skills became a specialized role of the corporate trainer. By the mid-1930s, Dale Carnegie popularized people skills in How to Win Friends and Influence People and How to Stop Worrying and Start Living throughout the United States of America and later throughout the world. In the 1960s, US schools introduced people-skills topics and methods—often as a way to promote better self-esteem, communication and social interaction. These encompassed psychologist Thomas Gordon’s “Effectiveness Training” variations as well as many other training programs.Schaps, E.; Cohen, A.Y.; and Resnik, H.S.:“Balancing Head and Heart” PIRE. Retrieved on 2009-08-18 (By the 1980s, "traditional education" and a “back-to-basics” three-Rs emphasis largely pushed these programs aside,Doll, R.C. “Humanizing Education by Improving Communication” ERIC. Retrieved on 2009-08-19 with notable exceptions.“Stop. Think. Act. Program” Learning Matters. Retrieved on 2009-08-18 ) By 1974 the actual term "people skills" had come into use. See for example: Educational importance/impact A significant portion of the deaths in the United States can be attributed to psychosocialhttp://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/psychosocial Retrieved on 2009-10-14 deficits in people skills for stress management and supportive social connection.“Century of research confirms impact of psychosocial factors on health” APA. Retrieved on 2009-08-18 Business, labor and government authorities agree that wide-ranging people skills are necessary for 20th-century work success in the SCANS report.“Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS)” US Dept. of Labor. Retrieved on 2009-08-18 At least one foundation, Alliances for Psychosocial Advancements in Learning (APAL), has made support of SCANS-related people skills a major priority.“Communications Connections” APAL. Retrieved on 2009-08-18 UNESCO research found that young people who develop speaking/listening skills and getting to know others have improved self-awareness, social-emotional adjustment and classroom behavior; self-destructive and violent behavior also were decreased.“UNESCO Research” British Telecommunications. Retrieved on 2009-08-18 The Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) has identified 22 programs in the US that are especially comprehensive in social-emotional learning coverage and effective in documented impacts.“CASEL "Select" Programs” Retrieved on 2009-08-18 See also * Communication skills training * Emotional and/or behavioral disability * Emotional intelligence * Emotional literacy * Empathy * Life skills-based education * Social intelligence * Soft skills * Theory of multiple intelligences References Further reading * People Skills: How to Assert Yourself, Listen to Others, and Resolve Conflicts (book overview) http://books.google.com/books?id=MJPAoB22ugkC&dq=people+skills+education&source=gbs_navlinks_s Robert Bolton, Touchstone * People Skills & Self-Management (online guide) Ernest Llynn Lotecka, APAL * The People Skills Revolution: A Step-by-Step Approach to Developing Sophisticated People Skills http://www.gppbooks.com/book.php?id=818615 Pamela Milne, Global Professional Publishing External links *Transferable skills Category:Communication Category:Life skills Category:Skills Category:Social skills